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Hone your Om
Local vocal coach synchronizes breath and body
story and photo by Susan Holliday
A handful of people lie on mats in a light and airy Takoma Park studio as a spry woman walks among them, leading her students through exercises and techniques to help them learn to use their voices without stress.
Vocal coach Mary Naden works with people from all over who want to "learn to speak through breath and body," as her brochure describes. The men and women on her studio floor have signed up for her "Hone Your Om" classes, designed to complement the practice of yoga by freeing breath and voice. But Naden's clientele includes lawyers, actors, clergy--anyone who needs to find and use their voice.
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| Vocal coach Mary Naden leads members of her Hone Your Om class in breathing and voice relaxation and exercise in her Takoma Park studio. |
Voice work can help "anytime anyone has to express themselves to the world, through public speaking, singing, chanting and one-on-one communication," said Naden. "Many people say to me, 'I haven't found my voice.' I think they mean this metaphorically and literally."
Even writers can profit from voice training. "They want to find their expressive voice to put on the page," said Naden, "and for readings of their work."
Naden apprenticed with the voice and speech faculty at Ohio University's Professional Actor Training Program, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree. She continued training with Kristin Linklater, whose technique is practiced by performers worldwide. Some of her more famous voice classmates included actors Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Naden served on the faculty of the University of Maryland and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She's taught company classes for Round House Theatre and voice classes at Georgetown Law Center.
Working on breath, sound and communication can make almost everyone feel more connected and confident in their vocal presentations, according to Holly Shere, a teacher and Jewish lay spiritual leader. After working with Naden for about nine months, Shere is surprised at the feedback she's received from others. She recently led a chanting session and one participant commented, "Your voice lessons are paying off!"
"I feel like Mary's helping me to connect my voice with the rest of me," Shere said. "I've become more centered and grounded in my public voice work, my chanting and speaking. I'm a big believer in Mary's work."
Naden has studied dance and movement methods including Alexander technique, Feldenkrais and Tai Chi. She's both learned and offered classes at Willow Street Yoga, now in Silver Spring and Takoma Park.
An additional benefit of the vocal work is its "healing effect," noted Shere. One of the members of the Hone Your Om class participated specifically for that reason. "I'm interested in slowing down and eliminating stress from my life," said Takoma Park resident Tom Swift. He's found the "breath and body are interconnected."
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